Refrigerating apparatus



Get. 27, 1931. 'L M, KEGHLEY 1,829,402

REFRIG ERATING APPARATUS EXPANSION Convenant E /Lfu wuentoz m dummy@CoMPRes-.soz

l Oct. 27, 1931. LAM. KEIGHLEY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed. Jan. 18'1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #ff/1 W g JM@ M 3 w w w f no w H x w .w ,$53 E iuI 1;: 3 @I @f M5 Patented Oct. 27, 1931 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICELLOYD M. KEIGHLEY, F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATINGAPPARATUS Application led January 18, 1926. Serial No. 81,902.

This invention relates to refrigerating systems and particularly to asystem 1n which it is desired to maintain some of several coolingcompartments at refrigerating 5 temperatures and to maintain othercompartments at refrigerating temperature only as required. The presentinvention is particularly adapted for use in ice cream coolers whereordinarily there need for only a lo portion of the available coolingspace but where, under other circumstances, addi tional cooling space isdesired.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide arefrigerating system in which a number of compartments are cooled from asingle compressor, the system being so arranged that some of thecompartments are continuously cold, while others are adapted to becooled only as their service is actually 2o needed. This result isobtained automatically, without any attention on the part of theproprietor, upon the insertion of a can of ice cream or other materialto be cooled, into the proper compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is 30clearly shown.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of a refrigerating systemembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the pressure responsive valve forcontrolling the admission of refrigerant to an auxiliary coil.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the automatic Valve for controlling therelease of refrigerant from an auxiliary coil.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustration, there areshown at and 2l, two refrigerating coils surrounding sleeves 22 and 23respectively, these sleeves being adapted to receive containers 24 and25 for ice cream or other substances to be cooled. These two coils areconnected in series b v a conduit 26. Refrigerant medium is supplied tothese coils through a conduit 2T and is withdrawn therefrom through aconduit 2S. Conduit 2T is connected by means of a T 29 to the mainsupply conduit 30, the entrance of refrigerant into the conduit 30 beingcontrolled by the conventional expansion valve 3l. The other opening ofT 30 is connected to conduit 32 which supplies refrigerant to coil33'through the valve 36 and conduit 37. Coil 33 surrounds a sleeve 34which is similar to sleeves 22 and 23, and is likewise adapted toreceive a container 35 for ice cream or other substances to be. cooled.Refrigerant is conducted from coil 33 by means of conduit 38, valve 39and exhaust conduit 40.

Outlet conduits 28 and 40 are joined by means of a T 4l to the mainoutlet or exhaust conduit 42.

Circulation of refrigerant medium through the system is maintained by acompressor 43, driven by a motor 44 through pulleys 45 and 46, and belt47. Compressor 43 is connected with a condenser 4S which is in turnconnected by the conduit 49 to expansion valve 31. 'lhis expansion valveis of a conventional type, responsive to the pressure within therefrigeratmg coils, opening as the pressure in the coils increases, andclosing when the pressure decreases.

The starting and stopping of the motor 44 and compressor 43 is governedby the controller 50 which includes contacts 51 and o2 for opening andclosing a circuit 53 to motor 44. The. controller 50 includes a metalbellows 54 connected by pipe 55 to the conduit 42, and is thereforeresponsive to the pressure in the low-pressure side of the refrigeratingsystem. Bellows 54 operates a snap switch 5G, including the contacts 51and lilhen the pressure within the low pressure side of the system isabove a predetermined degree, the controller will be in the positionshown in full lines in the drawings. After the pressure in the lowpressure side has been reduced to a lnedctermined degree. bellows 54will collapse to operate snap switch 56 and separate the contacts 51 and52. able low pressure controller mayY be used in the present s vstem.one type being shown in the copending application of Jesse G. Kingr andSylvester Schneller, Serial No. (370.357. filed October 23, 1923.

Any suita valve body 57.

' assembly 36 1s shown as comprising a valve body 57 having a valve seat58 adapted to cooperate with the valve proper 59.` The valve 59 isprovided with a stem 60, the stem 60 being provided at its vupper endwith a reduced threaded portion 61 adapt-ed to protrude through acentral opening 1n a circular plate 62, the plate resting on shoulder 63of the valve stem 60 and bein firmly attached to the stem by the nut 64.rlhe upper end of valve body 57 is rovided with a reduced portion 65about which is fitted a circular plate 66, similar in design and of thesame diameter as plate 62. Plate 66.is'adapted to be fixedly held bymeans of the shoulder 67 on valve body 63 and the turned-over end ofreduced portion 65. Fixed to the plates 62 and 66 is themet-allicbellows 68. This =bellows is,

adapted by its expansion and contraction to raise and lower plate 62 andstem 66 and consequently to seat and unseat valve 59.

Valve 59 is normally held unseated by the spring 69 which acts againstthe movable plate 62. The tension of the spring may be regulated byscrew 70, threaded in the U- shaped yoke 71, the lower end of the screwbearing against. a U-shaped plate 72. which rests upon spring 69. Theextremities of yoke 71 are fastened by means o bolts 73 to Looselymounted within the bellows 68 is a metallic sleeve 74 surrounding valvestem 60, and prevented from lateral displacement by means of theturned-over end of portion 65. The object of this sleeve is to limit thecontraction lof the bellows 68 and thereby prevent its fracture. y

The valve body 57 is provided with passages 7 5, 76 and 77, the passage75 leading to the conduit 32, assage 76 leading to conduit 37, andpassage 27, through which the stem loosely passes, leading from conduit76 to the interior of the bellows 68. It will thus be seen that anincrease of ressure, due to the expansion of refrigerant 1n coil33, willbe transmitted through conduit 37, passage 76 and passage 77 to theinterior of bellows 60,

" thus expanding the bellows against the action s valve 82. The valve 82controls the communication between passage 83 leading from conduit 38and passage 84 leading to conduit 40. Valve 82 has an upwardlyprojecting stem 85 adapted to pass through a series of packing members86and 87, held firmly in place by a bushing 88 screw-threaded into theupper part of valve body 80. Members 86 are here shown as iexiblegaskets resting on a lead gasket 87, but it is understood that any sat--lsfactory type of packing to prevent leakage past the valve stem may beused.

Valve stem is screw-threaded at its uper endfto receive the lower end ofa rod 89. 4od 89 projects upwardly through a U- shaped yoke 90, the yokebeing fastened at its lower ends by screws 91 to valve body 80. Betweenthe yoke and the upper iattened end 92 of valve stem 85, and surroundingrod 89, is interposed a coiled spring 93. This spring acts normally toforce the valve 82 downwardly onto its seat.

The upper end of rod 89 is formed with an eye 94 adapted to make asuitable pivotal connection with one extremity of the bent lever 95(Fig, 1). Lever 95 is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 96 to anysuitable fixed support. The other. extremity of the lever is bent to asuitable angle, approximatelyV 90, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, and isadapted to project over the opening in sleeve 34. Normally the spring 93tends to rock lever 95 in a clockwise position, maintaining the lever inthe dotted line position, and holding valve 82 on its seat.

In the operation of the system, assuming that sleeves 22 and 23 containcans of ice cream, while sleeve 34 is empty, and that the compressor 43is operating, valve 39 will operate to close the return conduit 40 fromcoil 33, and they circulation of refrigerant through the system will befrom compressor 43 to condenser 48, expansion valve 31, thence throughevaporating coils 20 and 21 and conduits 28 and 42 back to thecompressor. If any refrigerant is present in coil 33, its expansion willcause bellows 68 of valve member 36 to expand against the action ofspring 69, thereby seating valve 59 in the dotted line position (Fig. 2)and preventing the further entrance of refrigerant to coil 33. Coil 33is thus isolated from the remainl sleeve 34, the can itself will movelever 95 from the dott-ed line position to the full line .position(Fig, 1) thus unseating valve 82 to the dotted line position (Fig. 3)and releasing the pressure in coil 33 and bellows 68 to the pipes 42 and40 under the exhausting action of the compressor. Release of pressure inbellows 68 permits spring 69 to unseat valve 59, therebv allowing theentrance of condensed refrigerant to coil 33 where it expands and passesout through ex'- haust conduit.40 to the compressor. The refrigeratingcycle now takes place through all the coils in the system.

It is to be noted that coil 33 has a greater number of turns than eithercoils 20or31. This increased cooling area, permits the substance insleeve 34 to rapidly assume the temperature of those substances insleeves 22 and 23. Likewise coil 21 has a greater number of turns thancoil 20, this construction being particularly suited to coils arrangedin series in the maintenance of uniform temperatures.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all

coming within the scope of the claims which follow. y

What is claimed is asA `follows:

1. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a coolin unit,means for supplying a volatile liquid refrigerant to, and withdrawinggaseous refrigerant from said cooling unit, said means including anexhaust conduit, means located in said exhaust conduit for renderingsaid unit operative, said means being actuated by the act of moving anobject to be cooled into communication with said cooling unit.

2. A refrigerating system con'iprisingf in combination, a cooling unit,means for supplying refrigerant medium to, and withdrawing same fromsaid cooling unit, said means including an exhaust conduit, means forputting the unit into communication with said exhaust conduit includinga valve in the conduit, and means for mechanically operating the valveby the insertion into the unit o' an object to be cooled.

3. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a cooling unit,means for supplying refrigerant medium to, and wit-hdrawing same from.said cooling unit, said .means comprising inlet and exhaust conduits,means operated by the act of inserting into said unit of an object to becooled and located in said exhaust conduit for rendering said unitoperative, and means in said inlet conduit, responsive to the pressurein said cooling unit and adapted to close said inlet conduit when saidexhaust conduit is closed.

4. A refrigerating systemI comprising in combination, .a cooling unit,means for supplying refrigerant medium to, and withdrawing same from,said cooling unit, said means comprising inlet and exhaust conduits, avalve operated by insertion into said unit of an object to be cooled andlocated in said exhaust conduit for rendering said unit operative, and avalve in said inlet conduit responsive to the pressure in said coolingunit and adapted to close said inlet conduit when said exhaust conduitis closed.

5. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a plurality ofcooling units, common means for supplying refrigerant medium to, andwithdrawing same from, said units, and means operated by the insertioninto one of said units of an object to be cooled for rendering said unitoperative.

6. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a plurality ofcooling units, common means for supplying refrigerant medium to, andwithdrawing same from', said units, and a valve operated by insertioninto one of said units of an object to be cooled for rendering said unitoperative.

7. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a plurality ofevaporating coils adapted to cool a plurality of cooling units, commonmeans for supplying refrigerant medium' to, and withdrawing same fromsaid coils, said means including a plurality of exe haust conduits, andmeans operated by insertion into one of said units of an object to becooled and located in oneof said exhaust conduits for rendering one ofsaid coils operative.

8. A refrigerating system comprising in combination, a plurality ofevaporating coils of cooling units, refrigerant meadapted to cool aplurality common means for suppl dii to. and uit' ame from said coils,said means n I .Y plurality of exhaust zaad; and operated by insertioninto ne of said :mits ot' an object to lic cooled nd hicited in one ofsaid exrcm'ic one of Saud haus-,t conclu,

p I ng in plurali)Y of cooling units, coziimon means for supplyingrefrigerant medium to, and withdrawing same from, `said units, and meansoperated by insertion into one of said units of an object to be cooledfor rendering said unit operative, said unit having a larger coolingsurface than the other units and being adapted rapidly to assume thetemperatures of the other units.

l0. In a refrigerating system, a plurality of cooling coils connected inparallel and adapted to refrigerate cooling units, means for supplyingrefrigerant medium to, and withdrawing same froml said coils, said meansincluding a. primary exhaust conduit and a secondary exhaust conduitassociated with each coolingunit, one of said cooling coils being inconstant communication with said primary exhaust conduit, means forputting another of said coils in communica tion with said primaryexhaust conduit including a valve located in its secondary exhaustconduit, and means for mechanically operating the valve by the insertionof an object to be cooled into the cooling unit from which refrigerantis withdrawn by said secondary exhaust conduit, said coil having a.greater number of turns than the first and being adapted to readilyassume the temperature of the other units. l

ll. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a retrigeratingelement including a container :for articles to be cooled,

m'eans for circulating refrigerant `in intimate thermal association withthe container, control means normally preventing circulation ofrefrigerant and means for actuating the control means. to permit thecirculation of refrigerant, said actuating means being associated withthe container in the path of insertion and removal of articles to becooled.

12. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a refrigeratingelement including a container for articles to be cooled, a conduit forcirculating refrigerant in intimate thermal association with thecontainer, l

4a normally closed valve preventing circulation of refrigerant thru theconduit and means for opening the Valve to permit the circulation ofrefrigerant, said opening means projecting into the container in thepath of insertion and removal of articles to be cooled.

In testimony whereof I hereto aiix my signature.

LLOYD M. KEIGHILEY.

